Latest news with #HIA
Qatar Tribune
20 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Permanent wildlife sculpture collection unveiled at HIA
Hamad International Airport (HIA) has unveiled 'Wildlife Wonderscapes', a permanent collection of interactive sculptures by renowned artists Gillie and Marc. The installed bronze art pieces reflect Qatar Airways Group's dedication to wildlife conservation and highlight the importance of protecting endangered species. Originally part of a globally recognised series, the artwork has been adapted for Hamad International Airport with distinct Qatari elements, including native species. The sculptures unite endangered animals, delivering a message of coexistence, reconnecting with nature, and a hope for a safer future for wildlife. Hamad Ali Al Khater, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport, said: 'Airports are places of movement, connection and reflection. The Wildlife Wonderscapes sculptures by renowned artists Gillie and Marc have been chosen to be part of our terminal's permanent art collection for their powerful message of conservation. Wildlife Wonderscapes encourages engagement with our passengers making every journey memorable and greatly adds to the diverse iconic art curated across Hamad International Airport.' (TNN) page 3
Qatar Tribune
20 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
HIA unveils ‘Wildlife Wonderscapes'
QNA Doha Hamad International Airport (HIA) has unveiled 'Wildlife Wonderscapes', a permanent collection of interactive sculptures by renowned artists Gillie and Marc. The installed bronze art pieces reflect Qatar Airways Group's dedication to wildlife conservation and highlight the importance of protecting endangered species. Originally part of a globally recognised series, the artwork has been adapted for Hamad International Airport with distinct Qatari elements, including native species. The sculptures unite endangered animals, delivering a message of coexistence, reconnecting with nature, and a hope for a safer future for wildlife. Commenting on the unveiling, HIA's Chief Operating Officer Hamad Ali Al Khater said, 'Airports are places of movement, connection and reflection. The Wildlife Wonderscapes sculptures by renowned artists Gillie and Marc have been chosen to be part of our terminal's permanent art collection for their powerful message of conservation. 'Wildlife Wonderscapes encourages engagement with our passengers making every journey memorable and greatly adds to the diverse iconic art curated across Hamad International Airport.' Artists Gillie and Marc said, 'We are incredibly honoured to unveil our largest permanent wildlife sculpture exhibition at Hamad International Airport. It's our dream to inspire millions of travellers to fall in love with the wild and to understand the urgent need to protect it.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
What to do when your new home gets too expensive to build
Isaac Morrow-Jones and Rubin Steyn partnered up on their first home development together – and they managed to pull it off amid spiking build prices across the state. Both lived in Wavell Heights and saw the suburb as a growing market, and decided it was time to jump into their dream of developing a house. 'For us personally, it was always a conversation about wanting to do developments together,' Mr Morrow-Jones, 26, said. 'I know that sometimes things don't go the way that they need to go, so I think I was prepared for the whole project from the start … now, we've actually brought it to fruition.' One of the biggest problems for building in 2025 was the cost. Housing Industry Association data has shown building material prices are at 35.4 per cent above pre-pandemic levels, with building and renovation costs spiking with it. In 2025, it is 34.4 per cent more expensive for those looking to build a home compared to late 2019, and renovation costs have surged even higher with a 43 per cent jump. Mr Morrow-Jones previously worked in the construction industry, and said he saw things get harder for everyone in that profession over the past five years. 'After Covid, there were a lot of companies out there that were struggling from the price increase, especially because there were locked in contracts with developers,' he said. 'Ultimately, a lot of projects that were priced pre-Covid were now in the red.' When building his house, Mr Morrow-Jones found builders to have accounted for these new price increases in the contract, which also included an uptick in labour costs. He added that to help keep those prices down, he and Mr Steyn needed to make sure the materials they'd be using were readily available, avoiding the risk of further expense. 'What we selected at the start of the project, we knew 100 per cent that it was going to be available,' he said. 'That's a massive part of the cost.' The two business partners are now selling their completed build at 2 Taabinga St, Wavell Heights, with Place Ascot. Place Ascot Director Drew Davies said rising build costs meant those looking to make a home from scratch might have to think harder about if they should – but added it was a good opportunity for developers. 'It depends if you've got a burning desire, and the capacity to do it yourself,' he said. 'There's a super strong demand for finished product at the moment.' 'When you buy a finished product, the price is the price … you avoid those budget blowouts [with] a build.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Sunny and dry stretch of weather to start the week
TODAY: Smoky Sunshine, Pleasant. Hi 72. TONIGHT: Clear & Cool. Lo 52. TUESDAY: Sunny & Warm. Hi 80. After record rainfall in May (HIA saw its most rain ever for May at 9.72″!), this week will bring some needed drier weather and warmth too! Sunshine will dominate today, and even with a cool morning, temperatures will still make it into the 70s this afternoon. Canadian wildfire smoke will blow into Central PA again early this week. This means the sky will look hazy or have a milky sheen rather than its normal bright, brilliant blue. Just something to keep in mind as we expect sunny and dry weather for the first part of this week. Wednesday will be quite warm with highs reaching the mid-80s! The humidity starts to tick up by the end of the week, with upper 80s forecasted for Thursday and Friday! It will start to feel much more like summer. As the humidity starts to increase, so will the chances for showers and thunderstorms. The good news? No washouts in the forecast either. A stray shower is possible ahead of a front on Thursday, with a better chance for afternoon and evening thunderstorms on Friday. Showers look to linger on Saturday before the humidity drops and gives the region a pleasant Sunday. We'll keep you posted on these rain chances, but for now, enjoy the sunny and dry stretch. We've earned it! -Meteorologist Brett Thackara Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Herald Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Herald Sun
Locked out: Generation faces housing crisis catastrophe
Australia's housing affordability crisis has reached code red status as runaway construction costs threaten to permanently lock out a generation of potential homeowners. A new analysis reveals a construction sector in turmoil, with renovation expenses surging a staggering 43 per cent since late 2019 and building material prices remaining stubbornly elevated, sitting 35.4 per cent above pre-pandemic levels. The crisis, driven by a perfect storm of crippling labour shortages, supply chain disruptions, and soaring prices for essential materials is prompting urgent calls for government intervention to prevent a full-blown housing catastrophe. Exclusive data by the Housing Industry Association shows essential materials are bleeding budgets dry, with the cost of copper pipes and fittings skyrocketing by 14.4 per cent annually and 63.4 per cent since the end of 2019. The cost of electrical cable and conduit are equally alarming, jumping 9.5 per cent annually and a shocking 69.7 per cent since the end of 2019. Even the humble clay brick, a cornerstone of Australian construction, has surged by 8.3 per cent annually and 48.4 per cent since the end of 2019, while timber doors rose by 7.4 per cent annually. RELATED 17,000 ads: Aussie tradie jobs no one wants Demolition dilemmas: Aus homes under threat Build new for less: Top spots under $850K revealed Only materials like plywood, steel beams, plastic sanitary ware, reinforcing steel, sheet metal and other electrical equipment saw a reduction in cost between 4 per cent and 9 per cent. However, it's a drop in the ocean, considering the cost of skilled labour, which saw a 5.5 per cent increase over the 12 months to March, with those looking to build now paying 35.5 per cent more for a home than they did pre Covid. To put it in numbers, the average national build cost now is $484,315, according to March figures by the Bureau of Statistics, $18,832 more than the previous year and $152,969 more since pre-Covid in 2020, when the average build cost just $331,346. HIA senior economist Tom Devitt said while the numbers looked bleak, the cost of construction material was starting to stabilise. 'Some of the numbers shared do show a few materials are still going up really rapidly…but the average building materials have actually really slowed. They are still very much elevated from five years ago but they do look like they've stabilised. 'Labor costs are also still increasing quite rapidly but also not as much as they did three years ago. Our trade report two or three years ago had a single year where trade prices went up 10 per cent.' Mr Devitt said while the cost of materials would come down with time, the real concern going forward was ongoing labour shortages. 'The demand is still going to be outstripping the supply of trades unless the government follows through on what they've been paying lip service to in terms of fast tracking in-demand construction trades,' he said. '(So far) nothing has really progressed from that because the number of skilled trades that have been arriving, relative to overall overseas arrivals, has been minute.' The hidden cost behind Australia's homebuilding struggles An analysis by NextMinute, a leading project management software for tradies, recently shed light on the occupations with the highest vacancy rates and the most job ad listings across Australia, revealing a stark disparity between supply and demand in the trade sector. Official figures indicate that motor mechanics, electricians, and welders are among the most sought-after trades, with thousands of vacancies across all Australian states. However, SEEK job ad volumes suggest the demand is far greater, with listings for electricians alone exceeding six times the official vacancy count. Similarly, there are 9749 listings for mechanics and 2706 for welders, reflecting widespread recruitment challenges in the industry. Despite attractive salaries, several trades remain under-represented in global job searches, such as airconditioning and refrigeration mechanics, who earn over $2000 per week. The United Kingdom leads overseas demand, with UK-based workers conducting thousands of monthly searches for Australian trade jobs. NextMinute CEO Alex Jenks said the discrepancy highlighted the ongoing recruitment challenges faced by trade businesses. These shortages are slowing down projects, driving up costs, and putting pressure on business owners,' he said. 'Interestingly, the countries showing the most interest don't always align with the trades in greatest need. 'For example, airconditioning and refrigeration mechanics have over 500 official vacancies, but little international search activity, pointing to blind spots in global awareness of Australia's workforce needs.' Australia needs to think modular With Australia forecast to fall 262,000 homes short of its national 1.2 million housing target by 2029, Ray White Group senior economist Nerida Conisbee said a modular approach was needed to address ongoing construction concerns. 'It's taking things like trusses off site and making it more of a manufacturing process, as opposed to building them on site where you need far more skilled labour,' she said. 'Another example would be kitchens and bathrooms which are really time consuming and expensive to build on site. So if you just have to assemble them within a house, that makes it a lot cheaper…everything else can be done offshore. 'Another thing to look at would be the way we design houses. One of the reasons why it's so expensive to build is because Australians really love their houses to be different from their neighbours. 'And so, if we're looking at new areas, if we're starting to build houses that are very similar, then it becomes a lot quicker and cheaper to build houses.'
